Mount for cylinder position sensor

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for determining the position of a rod member of a cylinder assembly are provided. The cylinder assembly may include a cylinder body, a gland member, a sensor mount, a rod member, and a position sensor attached to the sensor mount. The cylinder body may have a first mounting portion disposed thereon. The gland member may be disposed within a gland opening of the cylinder body. The sensor mount may have a second mounting portion disposed thereon and may be attached to the cylinder body via a coupling engagement between the second mounting portion of the sensor mount and the first mounting portion of the cylinder body. The rod member may be slidably arranged within rod openings of the sensor mount and the gland member and may extend into a longitudinal cylinder chamber of the cylinder body.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a mount for a position sensorand, more particularly, to a cylinder assembly with a position sensormounted thereto.

BACKGROUND

Expansible chamber hydraulic cylinders having moveable piston-and-rodassemblies therein are widely used on industrial, earthmoving, andmaterial handling machines and vehicles. It may be advantageous for sucha machine or vehicle to include an automatic control system forautomatically controlling the extension or retraction of apiston-and-rod assembly within a hydraulic cylinder so that partially ortotally automatic work operations may be performed. In one type ofautomatic control system, a position sensor may be used to determine theposition of the piston-and-rod assembly within the cylinder. Onechallenge with using such a position sensor is creating a robust,accurate, and affordable mount and mounting method for coupling theposition sensor with the hydraulic cylinder.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,509, issued to Semura et al., discloses a device formounting a position-detecting sensor to a hydraulic cylinder. Semuradiscloses a piston rod with a magnetic scale formed on the outer surfacethereof and a magnetic sensor mounted on a cylinder head proximate themagnetic scale for detecting the magnetic scale and determining theposition of the piston rod. The sensor is mounted on a block, and theblock is mounted directly to the head of the cylinder by a plurality ofbolts.

Prior sensor-mounting devices and methods for cylinder position sensorsmay provide complicated assembly operations or may unduly stresscomponents of a cylinder assembly. For example, when a position sensormount is affixed directly to the head or gland of a cylinder, alignmentof the sensor mount (and sensor) with a pattern or detectable feature onthe rod may be affected by the alignment (or misalignment) of the heador gland with a detectable feature on the rod. Moreover, bolting orotherwise attaching a sensor mount directly to the head or gland of acylinder may complicate the required corresponding design or structureof the head or gland, thereby increasing production costs of the gland.Further, when it is desired to retrofit an existing cylinder with aposition sensor, attachment of a sensor mount directly to an existinggland, such as by tapping bolt holes in the gland, may not be feasibleor possible, for example due to the existing configuration of the glandor the condition of the gland.

The present invention is directed at overcoming one or more problems ordisadvantages associated with prior sensor-mounting devices and methods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention, a cylinder assembly is provided. Thecylinder assembly may include a cylinder body, a gland member, a sensormount, a rod member, and a position sensor. The cylinder body may have alongitudinal cylinder chamber therein, a gland opening at an end of thecylinder body, and a first mounting portion disposed on the cylinderbody. The gland member may have a rod opening therein and may bedisposed within the gland opening of the cylinder body. The sensor mountmay have a rod opening therein and may be disposed proximate the end ofthe cylinder body and adjacent the gland member and may have a secondmounting portion disposed on the sensor mount. The rod member may beslidably arranged within the rod openings of the sensor mount and thegland member and may extend into the longitudinal cylinder chamber ofthe cylinder body. The position sensor may be attached to the sensormount. The sensor mount may be attached to the cylinder body via acoupling engagement between the second mounting portion of the sensormount and the first mounting portion of the cylinder body.

In another aspect of the invention, a cylinder assembly is provided. Thecylinder assembly may include a cylinder body, a gland member, a sensormount, a rod member, and a position sensor. The cylinder body may have alongitudinal cylinder chamber therein, a gland opening at an end of thecylinder body, and a first mounting portion disposed on the cylinderbody. The gland member may have a rod opening therein and may bedisposed within the gland opening of the cylinder body. The sensor mountmay have a rod opening therein and may be disposed proximate the end ofthe cylinder body and adjacent the gland member and may have a secondmounting portion disposed thereon. The rod member may be slidablyarranged within the rod openings of the sensor mount and the glandmember and may extend into the longitudinal cylinder chamber of thecylinder body. The rod member may have one or more detectable featuresdisposed longitudinally along the length of the rod. The position sensormay be attached to the sensor mount and may be operable to detect thedetectable features. The second mounting portion of the sensor mount maybe urged toward the first mounting portion of the cylinder body to holdthe sensor in a substantially predetermined orientation relative thepath of the one or more detectable features.

In a further aspect of the invention, a method may be provided fordetermining the position of a rod slidably arranged within alongitudinal cylinder chamber of a cylinder body having a gland memberdisposed within one end of the cylinder body, the gland member having arod opening therein for slidably receiving the rod. The method mayinclude providing a first mounting portion on the cylinder body;providing a sensor mount having a rod opening therein, a second mountingportion thereon, and a position sensor attached thereto; providing oneor more detectable features along the length of the rod; aligning theposition sensor with a path of the one or more detectable features;mounting the sensor mount to the end of the cylinder body and adjacentthe gland member by fastening together the second mounting portion ofthe sensor mount and the first mounting portion of the cylinder body;moving the rod within the rod openings of the gland member and thesensor mount; and operating the sensor to detect the detectable featuresof the rod and to generate a signal as a function of the detectablefeatures, the signal being indicative of the position of the rod.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments or featuresof the invention and, together with the description, serve to explainthe principles of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1A is a fragmentary cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of acylinder assembly constructed and operable according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 1B is a fragmentary cutaway perspective view of an alternativeembodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the cylinder assembly shownin FIG. 1A; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cutaway perspective view of an alternativeembodiment according to the present invention.

Although the drawings depict exemplary embodiments or features of thepresent invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, andcertain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate andexplain the present invention. The exemplifications set out hereinillustrate exemplary embodiments or features of the invention and suchexemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of theinvention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments or features of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same or corresponding reference numberswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same orcorresponding parts.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 2, an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention includes a cylinder assembly 10 having a cylinder body 14, agland member 18, a sensor mount 22, a rod member 26, and a positionsensor 30.

The cylinder body 14 provides a longitudinal cylinder chamber 34 thereinfor receipt of the rod member 26. The cylinder body 14 includes aradially outer wall 14 a and a radially inner wall 14 b. A gland opening38 is provided at one end 42 of the cylinder body 14 and is configuredand arranged for receipt of the gland member 18. Threads 46 a may beprovided on the inner wall 14 b within the gland opening 38 forengagement with threads 46 b on the gland member 18.

A first mounting portion 50 may be provided on the outer wall 14 a ofthe cylinder body 14. In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the first mountingportion 50 is a flange member extending radially outward from thecylinder body 14 and may be welded to the cylinder body 14. The flangemember 50 has a first opening 54 therein, the first opening 54 beingarranged in a substantially longitudinal orientation. In an alternativeembodiment (FIG. 3), the first opening 54 is arranged in a substantiallyradial orientation. For assembly purposes, the first opening 54 may havea threaded section 58 therein. It should be appreciated that one, two,three, four, or more first mounting portions 50 may be provided on thecylinder body 14. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 2 includes threefirst mounting portions 50, but alternative embodiments may include lessor more (for example four) mounting portions 50, depending for exampleon strength or configuration requirements.

Referring again to FIG. 1A, a generally cylindrical gland member 18 maybe disposed within the gland opening 38 of the cylinder body 14 and maybe sealingly engaged with the inner wall 14 b of the cylinder body 14.The gland member 18 has a rod opening therein, such as a longitudinalthroughbore 62, configured for slidable receipt of the rod member 26. Aradially outer surface 66 of the gland member 18 may provide threads 46b for engaging the threads 46 a of the inner wall 14 b of the cylinderbody 14. A seal groove 70 may also be provided along the outer surfaceof the gland member 18, and a seal 74 may be provided therein forensuring a sealing engagement between the gland member 18 and the innerwall 14 b of the cylinder body 14. Grooves 78, 82, 86 may be providedalong an internal wall 94 of the gland member 18 for seating a wear ring98, a buffer seal 102, and a rod seal 106, respectively. In analternative embodiment (FIG. 1B), a groove 90 having a wiper seal 110therein may be provided. The gland member 18 may have a flange portion114 disposed outside of the gland opening 38 of the cylinder body 14 andextending radially outward, for example beyond the inner and outer walls14 b, 14 a of the cylinder body 14.

The sensor mount 22 shown in FIG. 1A is disposed proximate the end 42 ofthe cylinder body 14 and adjacent the gland member 18. The sensor mount22 has a rod opening therein, such as a longitudinal throughbore 118,for slidably receiving the rod member 26. It should be appreciated thatthe sensor mount 22 need not extend completely around the rod member 26.A sensor bore 122 may be arranged radially within the sensor mount 22and may intersect the longitudinal throughbore 118. A sensor counterbore126 generally in alignment with the sensor bore 122 may be formed in thesensor mount 22. Grooves 130, 134 may be provided within the sensormount 22 for seating wiper seals 138, 142 outboard of the sensor bore122 and sensor 30 and inboard of the sensor bore 122 and sensor 30,respectively. The wiper seals 138 and 142 (or 110, as in FIG. 1B) may beconfigured to engage the outer surface of the rod 26 to keep the areaalong the rod 26 between the wiper seals 138 and 142 (or 110) free fromdebris or other substances that may interfere with operation of thesensor 30. It should be appreciated that an alternative embodiment mayexclude both of the seals 142 (FIG. 1A), 110 (FIG. 1B).

The sensor mount 22 provides a second mounting portion 146 thereon. Inthe embodiment of FIG. 1A, the second mounting portion 146 is formedwithin a flange portion 150 of the sensor mount 22 that extends radiallyoutward from the mount 22 and around the circumference of the mount 22.The second mounting portion 146 may include a second opening 154therein, the second opening 154 being arranged in a substantiallylongitudinal orientation.

In an alternative embodiment (FIG. 3), the flange portion 150 and thesecond mounting portion 146 of the sensor mount 22 may extend over thefirst mounting portion 50 so that the first mounting portion 50 isseated within the flange portion 150. In such an embodiment, the secondopening 154 may be arranged in a substantially radial orientation.

Referring again to FIG. 1A, the second mounting portion 146 of thesensor mount 22 is aligned with the first mounting portion 50 of thecylinder body 14, and the second opening 154 is aligned with the firstopening 54. The mounting portions 50, 146 may be attached together via acoupling engagement. For example, a mounting pin 158, such as a bolt,may be arranged within the second opening 154 and the first opening 54.Threads 163 on the mounting pin 158 may engage threads 58 in the firstopening 54, and as the mounting pin 158 is rotated relative the firstand second openings 54, 154, the second mounting portion 146 is urgedtoward and coupled to the first mounting portion 50, and the sensormount 22 may be urged toward and coupled to the cylinder body 14. In analternative embodiment (not shown), the mounting pin 158 may extendcompletely through the first opening 54 of the embodiment of FIG. 1 toengage a nut on the rear side of the first opening 54, and the mountingpin 158 and nut may be tightened together to urge and couple togetherthe first and second mounting portions 50, 146 and the cylinder body 14and the sensor mount 22.

The sensor mount 22 may have a counterbore 162 therein. The counterbore162 may be sized to receive the gland member 18 and the end 42 of thecylinder body 14. For example, the flange portion 114 of the glandmember 18 may be seated within the counterbore 162 of the sensor mount;a seal groove 166 may be provided within a mating, radially-arrangedface of the gland member 18 (or within a radially-arranged face of thesensor mount 22); and a seal 170 may be seated within the groove 166 toprovide a sealed engagement between the radially-arranged face of thegland member 18 and a radially-arranged face of the sensor mount 22. Thesealed engagement between the gland member 18 and the sensor mount 22may prevent or inhibit debris or other substances from entering the areabetween the wiper seals 138, 142 and affecting the performance of thesensor 30.

The rod member 26 is slidably arranged within the throughbores 118, 62of the sensor mount 22 and the gland member 18 and extends into thelongitudinal cylinder chamber 34 of the cylinder body 14, where the rodmember 26 may be operably connected with a piston (not shown), as isknown in the art, to form a piston-and-rod assembly. One or moredetectable features 174, such as barcode markings, may be disposed in apredetermined orientation along the length of the rod 26. It should beappreciated that the features 174 are shown in FIG. 1A, for explanatorypurposes, as being inboard of the gland member 18, and that the features174 may extend along the full length of the rod 26 in practice.

A position sensor 30 is connected to the sensor mount 22 and is arrangedin alignment with the path of the detectable features 174 of the rod 26.The sensor 30 may be operable to detect the one or more detectablefeatures 174 and responsively generate a signal indicative of theposition of the rod 26 as a function of the one or more detectablefeatures 174.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the sensor 30 is housed within a radiallyarranged bore 178 of a sensor subhousing 182, for example via apress-fit or set screw configuration. The subhousing 182 includes aflange 186, which is seated within the counterbore 126 of the sensormount 22, and the subhousing 182 is attached to the sensor mount 22 viaone or more screws 190 or the like. The subhousing 182 includes aconnector wall 194 that may protect the sensor 30 while providing aconnecting surface for attaching a connector (not shown) to the sensor30. For example, a mating connector having an outer diameter slightlylarger (or slightly smaller) than that of the connector wall 194 may becoupled with the connector wall 194 while engaging electrical contacts(not shown) on the sensor 30. The subhousing may further include acounterbore 198 wherein the sensor 30 may be seated during assembly. Agroove 204 may be provided in the sensor bore 122 for seating a seal208, such as an O-ring. The seal 208 may ensure a sealed engagementbetween the outer circumference of the sensor 30 and the sensor bore 122to prevent or inhibit debris from entering the area between the sensor30 and the rod member 26.

Industrial Applicability

The present invention provides an affordable and robust sensor mountoperable to accurately mount a position sensor to a hydraulic cylinder.

The cylinder assembly 10 of FIG. 1A may be assembled by placing the rodmember 26 through the throughbores 118, 62 of the sensor mount 22 andthe gland member 18, inserting the rod member 26 into the longitudinalcylinder chamber 34 of the cylinder body 14, and attaching the rodmember 26 to a piston (not shown). The gland member 18 may be threadedinto the gland opening 38 and cylinder chamber 34 of the cylinder body14 (via rotation of the gland member 18 relative the cylinder body 14),thereby sealing the longitudinal cylinder chamber 34 of the cylinderbody 14. The sensor mount 22 may be attached to the end 42 of thecylinder body 14 and adjacent the gland member 18 via the mounting pin158 and the first and second mounting portions 50, 146, as describedabove, to form a coupling engagement between the first and secondmounting portions 50, 146.

It should be appreciated that when the sensor mount 22 of FIG. 1A issecured to the cylinder body 14, and the counterbore 162 of the sensormount 22 is urged tightly against the gland member 18 (for example viathe mounting pin 158), the gland member 18 may be prevented or at leastinhibited by the sensor mount 22 from rotating out of, or otherwisebecoming unseated from, the gland opening 38 of the cylinder body 14.Thus, the sensor mount 22 may provide a locking function by holding thegland member 18 in sealing engagement with the cylinder body 14. As aresult of this locking function, the cylinder assembly 10 may be enabledto withstand higher operating pressures within the cylinder body 14.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 1A), the pathof the detectable features 174 is arranged in a substantiallypredetermined orientation on the rod member 26; the rod member 26 isarranged in a substantially predetermined rotational orientationrelative the cylinder body 14 and the first mounting portion 54 (forexample, if the cylinder body 14 and the rod member 26 are each fixedlyattached to components of a work machine); the sensor 30 is arranged ina predetermined orientation relative the sensor mount 22 and the secondmounting portion 154, for example via the sensor bore 122 and the sensorsubhousing 182; and the first and second mounting portions 50, 146 arecoupled together in a substantially predetermined orientation relativeto each other, for example via alignment of the first and secondopenings 54, 154 and insertion of the mounting pin 158 therethrough. Asa result, the position sensor 30 will be substantially aligned with apath of the detectable features 174, and the position sensor 30 willfunction properly without regard to the rotational configuration of thegland member 18 relative the cylinder body 14 or the rod member 26.Thus, during assembly the gland member 18 may be tightened relative thecylinder body 14 (via threads 46 a, 46 b for example) to a desireddegree without regard to the gland member's final orientation relativethe detectable features 174 of the rod 26.

It should further be appreciated that the disclosed sensor mount 22 maybe added to an existing cylinder assembly without substantialmodification of the cylinder assembly's components. For example, thesensor mount 22 may be added to the assembly without tapping holes inthe existing gland member or head of the assembly. As disclosed herein,one or more first mounting portions 50 may be welded or otherwiseaffixed to a cylinder body 14 to facilitate attachment of the sensormount 22 to the cylinder body 14.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specificembodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes ofillustration, various modifications may be made without deviating fromthe spirit or scope of the invention. Other embodiments of the inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of thespecification and figures and practice of the invention disclosedherein. It is intended that the specification and disclosed examples beconsidered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of theinvention being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appendedclaims.

1. A cylinder assembly comprising: a cylinder body having a longitudinalcylinder chamber therein, a gland opening at an end of the cylinderbody, and a first mounting portion disposed on the cylinder body; agland member having a rod opening therein, the gland member beingdisposed within the gland opening of the cylinder body; a sensor mounthaving a rod opening therein, the sensor mount being disposed proximatethe end of the cylinder body and adjacent the gland member and having asecond mounting portion disposed on the sensor mount; a rod memberslidably arranged within the rod openings of the sensor mount and thegland member and extending into the longitudinal cylinder chamber of thecylinder body; and a position sensor attached to the sensor mount;wherein the sensor mount is attached to the cylinder body via a couplingengagement between the second mounting portion of the sensor mount andthe first mounting portion of the cylinder body.
 2. The cylinderassembly of claim 1, wherein: the first mounting portion has a firstopening therein; the second mounting portion has a second openingtherein; and the cylinder assembly includes a mounting pin arrangedwithin the first and second openings.
 3. The cylinder assembly of claim2, wherein the sensor mount and the cylinder body are coupled togetherand urged toward each other via the mounting pin.
 4. The cylinderassembly of claim 2, wherein the first and second openings are arrangedin a substantially longitudinal orientation.
 5. The cylinder assembly ofclaim 2, wherein the first and second openings are arranged in asubstantially radial orientation relative the longitudinal cylinderchamber of the cylinder body.
 6. The cylinder assembly of claim 2,wherein: the first mounting portion provides a threaded section insidethe first opening; and the mounting pin is threadedly engaged with thethreaded section.
 7. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein: thecylinder body includes a radially internal wall; the gland memberincludes a radially outer surface; the radially outer surface of thegland member is engaged with the radially internal wall of the cylinderbody; and the sensor mount is urged against the gland member via thecoupling engagement between the second mounting portion of the sensormount and the first mounting portion of the cylinder body.
 8. Thecylinder assembly of claim 7, wherein: the radially internal wall of thecylinder body has a first threaded area thereon; the radially outersurface of the gland member has a second threaded area thereon; thegland member is engaged with the cylinder body via the first and secondthreaded areas; and the sensor mount is configured and arranged toprevent or inhibit the gland member from rotating in at least onedirection relative the cylinder body.
 9. The cylinder assembly of claim1, wherein: one end of the sensor mount has a counterbore therein; andthe gland member is seated within the counterbore of the sensor mount.10. The cylinder assembly of claim 9, wherein the gland member issealingly seated within the counterbore of the sensor mount.
 11. Thecylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second mountingportions are coupled together in a substantially predeterminedorientation with respect to each other.
 12. The cylinder assembly ofclaim 11, wherein the position sensor is attached to the sensor mount ina substantially predetermined orientation relative the second mountingportion.
 13. The cylinder assembly of claim 12, wherein: the rodincludes one or more detectable features disposed longitudinally alongthe length of the rod; and the rod is arranged with respect to thecylinder body so that a path of the one or more detectable features isdisposed in a substantially predetermined orientation relative the firstmounting portion.
 14. The cylinder assembly of claim 12, wherein: thesensor mount includes a sensor bore intersecting the rod opening of thesensor mount; and the position sensor is disposed within the sensorbore.
 15. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor mountincludes a first wiper element disposed outboard of the position sensorand in engagement with a surface of the rod, and a second wiper elementdisposed inboard of the position sensor and in engagement with a surfaceof the rod.
 16. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein: the rodincludes one or more detectable features thereon; and the positionsensor is mounted in a predetermined orientation with respect to a pathof the one or more detectable features and is operable to detect the oneor more detectable features and produce a signal indicative of theposition of the rod as a function of the one or more detectablefeatures.
 17. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, including a seal memberpressed between a radially arranged face of the sensor mount and aradially arranged face of the gland member.
 18. The cylinder assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the first mounting portion is a flange extendingradially outward from the cylinder body.
 19. A cylinder assemblycomprising: a cylinder body having a longitudinal cylinder chambertherein, a gland opening at an end of the cylinder body, and a firstmounting portion disposed on the cylinder body; a gland member having arod opening therein, the gland member being disposed within the glandopening of the cylinder body; a sensor mount having a rod openingtherein, the sensor mount being disposed proximate the end of thecylinder body and adjacent the gland member and having a second mountingportion disposed thereon; a rod member slidably arranged within the rodopenings of the sensor mount and the gland member and extending into thelongitudinal cylinder chamber of the cylinder body, the rod having oneor more detectable features disposed longitudinally along the length ofthe rod member; and a position sensor attached to the sensor mount, theposition sensor being operable to detect the detectable features;wherein the second mounting portion of the sensor mount is urged towardthe first mounting portion of the cylinder body to hold the sensor in asubstantially predetermined orientation relative the path of the one ormore detectable features.
 20. The cylinder assembly of claim 19,wherein: the first mounting portion has a first opening therein; thesecond mounting portion has a second opening therein; and the cylinderassembly includes a mounting pin arranged within the first and secondopenings.
 21. The cylinder assembly of claim 20, wherein the first andsecond mounting portions are urged toward each other via the mountingpin.
 22. The cylinder assembly of claim 19, wherein: the gland memberincludes a flange portion disposed external to the gland opening of thecylinder body; and the flange portion of the gland member is disposedbetween the sensor mount and the end of the cylinder body.
 23. A methodfor determining the position of a rod slidably arranged within alongitudinal cylinder chamber of a cylinder body having a gland memberdisposed within one end of the cylinder body, the gland member having arod opening therein for slidably receiving the rod, the methodcomprising: providing a first mounting portion on the cylinder body;providing a sensor mount having a rod opening therein, a second mountingportion thereon, and a position sensor attached thereto; providing oneor more detectable features along the length of the rod; aligning theposition sensor with a path of the one or more detectable features;mounting the sensor mount to the end of the cylinder body and adjacentthe gland member by fastening together the second mounting portion ofthe sensor mount and the first mounting portion of the cylinder body;moving the rod within the rod openings of the gland member and thesensor mount; and operating the sensor to detect the detectable featuresof the rod and to generate a signal as a function of the detectablefeatures, the signal being indicative of the position of the rod. 24.The method of claim 23, including attaching the first mounting portionto an outer surface of the cylinder body.
 25. The method of claim 23,including: aligning a first opening in the first mounting portion of thecylinder body with a second opening in the second mounting portion ofthe sensor mount; and inserting a mounting pin through the first andsecond openings.
 26. The method of claim 25, including urging the sensormount toward the cylinder body by rotating the mounting pin relative thefirst and second openings.
 27. The method of claim 26, including urgingthe sensor mount against the gland member by rotating the mounting pinrelative the first and second openings.
 28. The method of claim 27,including urging the sensor mount against the gland member to hold thegland member in position with respect to the cylinder body.